Announcing the Civic Cloud

The Civic Cloud will be available for the community to use as a platform for public, non-commercial Internet applications and digital creative works. Several applications will be deployed during an initial prototyping phase of the Civic Cloud. High-definition live streaming will be provided for community media outlets to webcast live public meetings and cultural events. WordPress websites will be hosted for several Vermont non-profits including rescue squads, food shelves, job banks and historical societies. A collection of volunteer-developed applications and a state-of-the-art website deployed to the Civic Cloud will help Big Heavy World preserve and promote Vermont-made music. Lakecraft, an educational, multi-user game aimed at youth and adults that gamifies the Lake Champlain Basin, will also be one of the first applications to run on the Civic Cloud.

"We are so pleased to be working with our partners to pioneer the next generation of public, educational and government access. The Civic Cloud combines the best of our community media operations, Burlington Telecom's publicly owned gigabit network, and innovative ideas into a new public resource that will soon become a local treasure and national model."

CCTV's Lauren-Glenn Davitian

Knight Foundation Grant

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded a $35,000 Knight Prototype Fund grant to the Civic Cloud Collaborative. This grant will be used to construct a prototype of the Civic Cloud. Knight experiments with digital technology, online community and new grant-making concepts to connect with innovators worldwide.

"Today's announcement is further evidence of Burlington’s growing reputation as a green, tech City able to leverage tremendous community resources through partnerships like BTV Ignite to catalyze economic development that benefits our City. The Civic Cloud will help make our impressive network available for greater public use. I am grateful for Knight Foundation's grant, and optimistic about the potential that resides here in Burlington."